Gender equality and Sport : an equation difficult to solve

Abstract

The Scandinavian countries are seen around the world as role models of gender equality. However, this is not the case for sport. Even though the percentage of female athletes has increased, women are still underrepresented and do not occupy positions of power in sports organizations. This study is based on a survey of representatives of local sport clubs who sought funding to implement projects within the framework of sport for all; Idrottslyftet (The Lift for Sport). The aim was to examine how sports federations’ work with The Lift for Sport was perceived at the club level by male and female project managers and differences in their views on the effect The Lift for Sport had for girls and boys. A web survey of 480 respondents revealed that female project managers have stronger beliefs, compared to male project managers, that The Lift for Sport is important in promoting gender equality in sport at the general and local levels. Both female and male project managers believed that continued governmental financial support is important for the future recruitment of boys and girls to local sport clubs and for encouraging them to continue participating. Finally, the study indicates that female project managers